Anchorage Mayor to Be Sworn In Via Skype From Hawaii

Thanks to Skype, Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan will begin his second term by taking his oath of office from 2,800 miles away in Hawaii.

"The code that basically states that the transfer of power, or signing of oath needs to happen on July 1st or soon thereafter," said the mayor's Communications Director Lindsey Whitt. "We reviewed the code and decided that everything was legal and we were able to have a Skype swearing in."

It's a vacation Sullivan takes every year with his family during the summer, and this year happened to fall on the day of his swearing-in. Whitt added that Sullivan's wife, Lynette, has family in Honolulu and has limited time to visit the island due to her schedule as a school teacher.

The mayor won re-election April 3. He will be sworn in at an attorney's office on the island that will be administered by a District Court Judge in Anchorage, which will be streaming live online. His family and an attorney will be present for the swearing in.

In 2009, Sullivan was elected they city's seventh mayor with an inauguration celebration accompanied by hundreds of people.

"Mayor Sullivan doesn't feel like a big event or a big ceremony is necessary for the second term," said Whitt. "He's just ready to roll up his sleeves and get to work."

While the office reviewed the city code for swearing-in with attorneys and confirmed the Skype call is legal, Sullivan still plans to take oath again once he returns from vacation.